Electric rivet-heater.



W. L. CHURCHILL.

ELECTRIC RIVH HEAIER.

APPUCATION HLED on. I. IQIB.

Patehted Dec. 30, 1919 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

lnrm for VW/fam 1.; Churchill UNITED sTAtr g r-ENT OFFICE WILLIAM Luo'ws CHURCHILL,

'01 WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK.

1326A T9. Specification t Letters intent;

, i Application filcdoct'obcr 7.1915. 1 Serial No. 251,171.

Tocll whom it may concern:

Be it known on "crime, a citizen of thercsiding at White Plains, in the county or \Vcstchcste'r, State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Rivet-Heaters, of which the following is a specification. e

that I, lVrLuAM Lucius This invention relates to devices and 10 mechanisms for electric heating;and it is a primary object of this'invcntion to provide a simp e and ctfective mechanism for heat ing such articles as rivets and other things of like nature. And in the more specific aspects of my invention it is an object to provide a mechanism which is easily and uickly opt-rated; and one which will quick y, ellicieutly and uniformly heat a rivet .or the like trf'any suitable desired temperature, without underheating or overheating. It is elsoonc of the objects of this invention to do away with the usual loss of rivets, loss (if finished work, etc, by overheating and burning.

The, -invention will be best understo from the following detailed descri tion of preferred forms of mechanism em odying the invention; reference being had for this purpose to the accompanying drawings in which I illustrate specific preferred forms 0 this device.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of my heating mechanism; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 is a detail section taken as indicated by line 3-3 on Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section taken on line H of I" 'r. El; Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on In. 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form and arrangement of the device; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section thereof on line 77 of Fig. 6.

In the drawings I show airs of carbon electrodes 10 and 11 situated one somewhat above the other and normally standing with their faces 10" and 11 close to each other, but not quite touching. These carbon electrodes are mounted so as to be relatively movable, one with relation to the other; and in order to effect this move- 60 ment, and to make a practical and cfiicient mounting of the electrodes, I mount the lower electrodes 11 uponthe stationary conductor bar 12 which is mounted upon and supported by a' standard 13, a block '14 of Ni insulating material being interposed to in- United States,

in opposition .to and- Patented Dec. 30, 1919.}v

sulate the connector bar 12 from the standaid. The upperelectrodesll) are mounted, upon an upper conductor bar 15 upon whiclr- .1 a bracket 16 is mounted. Bracket 16 is car- Q ried, pivotally at 1'1, uponlthe end of sin-c0 arm 18 pivoted at 19 to a bracket arm 20 l which extends preferably from standard 181 A suitable springmcans may be used to keep" the bracket 16 and electrodes 10 in approxrmatcly correct relative position to bring tha lower electrode faces 10 'down in parallel relation with the electrode faces 11*; resil' ient means being used so as to allow the up per electrodes to more or themselves to cause the electrodes to fit-7 snugly about the rivets, as will be herein-' after described. For this purpose a flat" spring or springs as shown at 25 may be used, secure to the bracket 16, with the free end adjusta-bly connected, as indicated at 26: with the arm 18. From pivoted arm 18'a rod 27 extends to foot lever 28- a 29. A rearcxtension 18 may carr a counterbalance weight 30; the ollice of this weight being to move the rear end of the foot lever downwardly and thereby raise the pivoted arm 18 and raise the upper electrodes 10. Foot pressure upon pedal 31 will bring the upper electrodes down toward J the lower electrodes-andthe foot lever 28" may then be swung in under the In or catch 32 for the purpose of holding the cot lever down and holding the upper electrodes 10" in their lower position. The foot lever 22' may he loosely pivoted at 21 so that it has a certain amount of lateral motion to allow it to be swung under the lug 32. In order to always bring the electrodes down to roper position when the foot lever is under; liig 32, a suitable spring means may be em"- ployed somewhere in the connection between the foot lever and the upper electrodes 10; Although this spring means may be placed at any point and arranged in any manner, it may easily be interposed in connecting rod 27 as shown at 27. The rod 27 may be passcd through a lugor ear 35 on lever 28 and a compression"spring 27 arranged between a nut 27 and the car 35; while an adjustable nut at 36 may be employed to limit 05 the downward movement of the electrodes 10, this nut being adjusted so that-electrodes 10 will not. qiiite' nake contact 'with the lower electrodes-when the level-"-28 is in the position shown in the drawings.

less self=ad ust 1 It will-,be noted that the electrodes are. inclined somewhat rearwardly from the operator standing in front of the machine: so that a rivet placed at R between the clec trodes in a position slopes somewhat downardly toward the rear end. In the two opposing faces of each pair of electrodes there are grooveslf) cut or otherwise formed toreceive a riyet 1i: aml in the several sets of electrodes these grooves may be made of different sizes to take different sizes of rivets; so that. in this specific embodiment of my invention 1 preferably lia-ve facilities for handling different sizes of ri-i'ets without having to change electrodes. For instance,

in the form of device shown in the drawings,

rivet it is not particularly desirable to heat the head: so that in the ordinary case the head of the rivet is not placed between the electmdes. In Fig. 5 l indicate the shape. of the, grooves 40 for holdingcounter-sunk" rivets. the forward ends of the grooves 40 being couically enlarged as indicated at 40. in each of the lowerelectrodes 11 notches 40 may be. formed on each side of the grooves 40 for insertion of the tongs to grasp and remove the heated rivets; these notches being made at the proper points to allow the. tongs to be inserted and grass) the rivet at the proper place on its shanl t, so that the rivet may then 'be. properly handled by the operator. Each of the electrodes may be beat insulated by a wall or layer of heat in? sulating material as indicated at 50.

l'llectrical connection is niade'tothe two connector bars 12 and 15, by wires 51 and 52.

In the. electrical circuit, at. some point, and.

not necessarily directly in the circuit which leads to the conductor bars 12 or 15, there may be a switch whose movable arm. 54 is connected by rod 55 with the foot-leverQS; the arrangement being such that. as the foot lever is raised, tl e electrodes {10 will raise ed the rivets after ,the circuit is broken at the. switch, thus obviating any are which might otherwise take place between the carbon electrodes and the rivets.

The form of machine described may have any number of sets of carbon electrot cs; or such a machine may be. reduced to one set of electrodes; becoming, in such form, a simple machine of minimum complic tions and parts. Any such machine as icrein described may have its electrodes fitted to reof rivets, adaptability to heatiiig more than one rivet at a time, etc.. may be determined in the actual use of this machine. It will be noted that the carbon blocks are so arranged that they will take rivets of varying lengths without the necessity of changing the a-lectrode blocks.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show a modified or rangement of my machine, which, in some situations, may be the preferred form of device. The upper and lower carbon terminals 10 and 11 are made in such form as to be readily removable from the lower conductor bar 12 and. the up )(l' individual mounting block 60. The car on blocks have a dov tail tongue fitting in corresponding grooves in the parts 12'and (l0, sothat the carbon blocks may be easily removed and replaced with others suitable for receiving different sizes and shapes of rivets. In the form of mechanism shown in Figs. 6 and 7 each one of the sets of electrodes is operative independently of the others by an individual foot pedal; and the electrodes may be either all designed to handle the same shape and size of rivet at one time, or may be designed to handle two or more ditl'erent sizes of rivets. In fact, as a general feature of my invention, it will be readily seen that the number of sets ofelectrodcs. and their operating mechanisms, may be. extended indefinitely: and the electrodes of )roper conformation inserted in place to handle any number of the same sized or different sized rivets. v

In this form of device. each upper carbon 10 is connected by a flexible connection 61, preferably a laminated sheet copper connection. to a common conductor bar 15" mounted upon the -frame of the machine.

Each upper carbon 10 is individually carried by a bracket 16" pivoted upon the end of an individual arm 18 pivoted on a pivot shaft 19. supported insupporting bracket or brackets 20. Each pivoted arm 13 is connected to its individual foot-lever 28 substantially in the. manner hereinbetore explained. The oieration of any one footlever causes thclr o'wnward movement of the carbon 10 to'tlai 'iri'and hold the. rivet in ilace. In using bisfi'fiorm of my device it is intended that two or aimof the electrodes may be at alltimes in operating relation holding a rivet. so that a current is passing two or more. of the, electrodes at all times. For instance in a device having three elements as herein described. during a part of the. time all three. elements will be operating: and when a rivet is taken out of one element, the circuit being broken when the carbons are opened, a and these carbons closed before the circuit is broken at another element to remove a rivet therefrom. Thus the current is closed at some place at all times, and is preferably closed through at least two of the heating elements at. all times; so that the arcing at the third element will be greatly reduced. Furthermore, I may, in an installation of this character, provide an electrical supply which is only fully sullicient for, sa two elementsso that when the circuit is roken at a third element, there will be no arcing disastrous to the carbons.

I use a low voltage current with hi 11 amperage. The carbon blocks become ieated. throughout as well as the rivet; and I aim in actual operation to keep the blocks from cooling between rivet heats so that the heat of the carbons is not lost.

In either form of my device, or in any modification or variation thereof, rivets are heated quickly and with the consumption of a small amount of current. They are, moreover, heated to a uniform temperature and are heated uniformly throughout. \Vith a given size of rivet, a certain amount of current will heat the rivet to a certain temperature in a known time will only heat the rivet and electrode bloc lls to a certain maximum temperature in an indefinitely long time period.

Not only is my device more economical than other methods of heating rivets which a re now in use, but it also saves those rivets which are at. present lost on account of overheating and burning, and saves time which has been formerly lost in removing and replacing defective riveting due to improper heating. There are many other advantages of my invention which arc-not necessary to here mention.

l-lm i'ng described a preferred form of my invention, 1 claim:

1. An electric heater for rivctsor the like, embodying a pair of electrodes movable relatively one to the other and standing face to, face when in operative relation, the electrodes having on their opposing the article to be heated; and one of the electrodes away to open up the space between the heated article.

2. An electric heater for rivets or the. like, embodying a pair of electrodes movable relatively one to the: other, the electrodesstanding face to face when in operative rc ation and having scmi-cylindrical cavities on their opposing faces adapted to receive the article to he heated; a movable pivoted arm, one of thc electrodes hcing pivotully mounted on the arm, so that by movement of the arm the electrodes may be separated faces adapted to rccciro means to move from the other them to release new rivet'r-is' put in 'mentioned electrode,

tior'iary period; or i fother electrode to (semi-cylindrical cavities the bar being tilted so and so that the electrodes have relative adjustability by 'movcment of said pivotedelectrode. i a

3. An electric heater for rivets or the like,

embodying apair of electrodes provided on their opposing faceswith seim-cyhndricat rivet receivingrecesses, a frame upon which i one of the electrodes is mounted, a movable,

mounting for the other electrode, and manually *operatable means to move the second mentioned electrode away from the first said means embodying means for normally holding the electrodes together. 4

4. In an electric heater for rivets or the like, a pair of electrode blocks ada ted to be held in position face to face and avin on their opposing faces recesses adapted to fit around the rivet or the like.

5. In an electric heater for nivets or the like, a pair of electrode blocks adapted to he held in position face to face and having on their opposing faces recesses adapted to fit around the rivet or the like, one of the blocks having tong recesses at opposite sides of its rivet receivl recess.

6. In an electric like, a pair of electrode blocks one staand the other'movable, a frame support for the stationary block on which said block is supported with its upper surface in a sloping position, and means to move the and from a position in which oneof its faces opposes the sloping face of the stationary electrode, the opposing faces having semi-cylindrical rivet receiving recesses ext-endin g said faces.

7. Anelectric heater for rivets or the like, embodying a. frame, a conductor bar mounted thereon, a plurality of lower electrode blocks rcmovahly mounted on the bar,

down the slope of the frame, a plurality of arms mounted on the pivot shaft audf extending forwardly over the lower electrode blocks, upper electrode blocks carried atthe ends of said arms, a conductor bar at the rear of the frame, flekiblc electrical connection between said bar and the u )pcr electrode blocks, and individual manually operatablc means for. moving said arms and the upper e ectrode blocks.

8. An electric heater for rivets or the like, embodying a frame, a .conductor bar mounted thereon, a plurality of lower electrode blocks removably mounted on the bar, that the upper faces of the hlocks are tilted down toward the hack of the frame, a pivot shaft at the back of the frame, a lurality of arms mounted on the pivot sha t and extending forwardly over the lowerelectrode blocks, upper electrode blocks carried at the ends ,of said arms, said bloeks being pfvotaltv mmlntekl trical connection between said lmr and the on the arms and having a lesilientattaehupper electrode blocks, and individual 10 ment therew'th to keep said blocks in alinemanually 0 )eratable means for moving said ment to present their lower faces in oppoarms and the upper electrode blocks.

sit-ion to the up er sloping faces of the lower In Witness that I claim the foregoing I electrode blqc lls and allow adjustment hate hereunto subscribed my name. movement of the upper blocks, a conductor bar at the rear of the frame, flexible ele WILLIAM LUGIUS CHURCHILL. 

